This invention relates generally to shopping carts and, more particularly, is directed to theft-prevention apparatus for shopping carts.
In view of the relatively expensive nature of shopping carts, generally in the range of hundreds of dollars for each shopping cart, and the large number of shopping carts that are stolen each year, theft of shopping carts poses a serious problem for stores. Thus, a large supermarket chain having many stores may lose millions of dollars each year due to shopping cart thefts.
As a result, various schemes have been proposed to prevent such thefts. For example, various stores have installed poles around a small area in front of the store which are spaced apart to permit the customers to enter and leave the store but which do not permit removal of shopping carts from such area. This arrangement, however, has the disadvantage that the customers cannot push the shopping carts to their cars in the parking area of the store, but rather, the customers must park their car in front of the poled access area and remove the packages thereat from the shopping cart. Such system results in customer dissatisfaction and a congestion of cars at the entrance and/or exit of the store. Also such a barrier poses a fire safety violation in many areas.
It has also been proposed to provide a sensor on each shopping cart which activates a signal device which, in turn, emits a warning sound when the shopping cart is removed from the premises of the store and/or its parking area. However, such system does not prevent the theft of shopping carts, but only warns of an impending theft. In other words, with such arrangement, an employee of the store is still required to chase the theft suspect which could, of course, present a danger. Such arrangement thereby promotes confrontation between the employee and the thief, and also requires employee time to monitor the system, resulting in additional costs.
Another theft-prevention system is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,242,668 to Herzog. As described therein, short range radio signal transmitters are disposed on a fence enclosing a vehicle parking area next to a store. When a shopping cart is moved within about ten feet thereof, means on the cart is activated to cause collapse of the front end of the shopping cart, thereby automatically immobilizing the cart.